Layered and vectored graphical user interface to a knowledge and relationship rich data source

Abstract

A graphical user interface provides a series of nested spherical surfaces representing a surface and/or human development at differing times in history and prehistory. An embodiment of the present invention, a knowledge web (K-Web), comprises a new, “multiple-intelligences” learning tool aimed at encouraging depth of thinking and understanding in numerous content areas. The K-Web optionally does this by presenting content in a dynamic structure having a multiplicity of interconnections that, used in conjunction with other input and display devices, is readily accessible in many different ways to many different intelligences and cognitive styles, and thus aid in the visualization of and collaboration on “wickedly complex” problems, such as Global Warming and Third World development. It may also be used to predict the outcome when combinations of unrelated individuals, events, and technologies are brought together.

1. A computer rendered graphical user interface (GUI) presented at a man-machine interface, the GUI comprising a display of:
 a plurality of nested spherical surfaces, wherein each surface represents a surface of the Earth at a particular time period; 
 a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes comprising at least one first node and at least one second node, and each node associated with a location on at least one of the plurality of spherical surfaces; and 
 a plurality of lines, at least one line having a first endpoint associated with the first node and a second endpoint associated with the second node, and a graphical user interface control. 
 
     
     
       2. The GUI of  claim 1  wherein the surface of the Earth is a representation selected from the Earth's geography and human development. 
     
     
       3. The GUI of  claim 1  wherein the most ancient time surface has the smallest radius and is located closest to a shared center point and the most recent time surface has the largest radius from the shared center point. 
     
     
       4. The GUI of  claim 1  further comprising a timebar, the timebar displayed in proximity to the nested surfaces. 
     
     
       5. The GUI of  claim 2  wherein the representation of the Earth's geography is selected from the group consisting of topography, political units, lines of communication, centers of economic activity, the geology of the underlying and exposed rock, and the tectonic properties of the continental and oceanic plates of the crust. 
     
     
       6. The GUI of  claim 1 , further comprising a web-control, the web-control displayed in proximity to the nested surfaces. 
     
     
       7. The GUI of  claim 6 , wherein the web-control is a turn/zoom web-control. 
     
     
       8. The GUI of  claim 1 , further comprising a help avatar, the help avatar displayed in proximity to the nested surfaces. 
     
     
       9. The GUI of  claim 8 , wherein the help avatar is a semi-translucent hologram head and shoulders of an individual. 
     
     
       10. The GUI of  claim 1 , further comprising a globe icon, the globe icon displayed in proximity to the nested surfaces. 
     
     
       11. The GUI of  claim 1 , wherein more than one line can be associated with a first node and a second node. 
     
     
       12. The GUI of  claim 1 , wherein the line represents a relationship between the nodes. 
     
     
       13. The GUI of  claim 12 , wherein the relationship is selected from the group consisting of a social relationship, an historical relationship, a geographical relationship, a temporal relationship, a cultural relationship, a linguistic relationship, a genetic relationship, a familial relationship, a technological relationship, and a mathematical relationship. 
     
     
       14. The GUI of  claim 12  wherein the relationship between the nodes is used to determine a relationship between another pair of nodes. 
     
     
       15. The GUI of  claim 1  further comprising a hyperlink to a user community forum. 
     
     
       16. An image-forming system, the image-forming system comprising an image generated by a machine displayed by a man-machine interface, the image having:
 at least one virtual surface, wherein the at least one virtual surface is invisible to a user of the man-machine interface, and the at least one virtual surface represents a particular time period; 
 at least one first node on the virtual surface; 
 at least one second node on the virtual surface; 
 at least one line having an endpoint associated with the first node and a second endpoint associated with the second node; 
 wherein each node is hyperlinked to a curated database of records; 
 wherein each line represents a relationship between the associated nodes; 
 and wherein the relationships form a relational network and the relational network forms a part of a knowledge web in at least a three-dimensional virtual space displayed by the man-machine interface. 
 
     
     
       17. The image-forming system of  claim 16  wherein the line between the two nodes further is described by a mathematical model in multi-dimensions. 
     
     
       18. The image-forming system of  claim 16 , wherein more than one relationship can be associated with a first node and a second node. 
     
     
       19. The image-forming system of  claim 16  wherein the curated database of records comprises the biographical records of individuals stored on machine-readable media. 
     
     
       20. The image-forming system of  claim 19  wherein the image further displays the relationships between more than two individuals' records. 
     
     
       21. The image-forming system of  claim 16  further comprising an interface control display and wherein the image can be manipulated by a user at the man-machine interface using the interface control. 
     
     
       22. A method for creating a graphical user interface (GUI) for discovering relationships between curated records in a database, the GUI presented at a man-machine interface, the method comprising the steps of:
 (i) providing a software program on machine readable media; 
 (ii) providing a curated database on machine-readable media; 
 (iii) rendering a plurality of nested spherical surfaces, wherein each surface represents a surface of the Earth at a particular time period; 
 (iv) rendering a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes comprising at least one first node and at least one second node, and each node associated with a location on at least one of the plurality of spherical surfaces; 
 (v) rendering a plurality of lines, at least one line having a first endpoint associated with the first node and a second endpoint associated with the second node; 
 (vi) rendering a graphical user interface control; 
 (vii) hyperlinking each node to a record in the database, each record having a unique identifier; 
 (viii) rendering the unique identifier at the respective node; 
 (ix) high-lighting nodes having lines associated with at least two other nodes, thereby creating a relationship between the nodes; 
 
       the steps resulting in creating a GUI for discovering relationships between curated records in a database. 
     
     
       23. A method for building a knowledge web on a machine, the method comprising:
 (i) assembling a plurality of records in a database on machine-readable media on a machine wherein the records have a plurality of individual data; 
 (ii) linking at least one first record with at least one second record, the records thereby becoming related to one another through the link and thereby creating a relationship between the records; 
 (iii) selecting a mathematical model that defines the relationship between the records in multi-dimensional space, wherein the multi-dimensional space is at least four-dimensional space; 
 
       recognizing the relationship between the records; thereby building the knowledge web on a machine. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23 , wherein the link is associated with at least one relationship and more than one relationship can be associated with a first record and a second record.